Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly address early on May 15 that "the situation in Donbas remains very difficult" and Russian troops ...

"We believe our place is inside the European Union...and hope that in the next few weeks and months the EU will recognize our European aspirations." The Kremlin said Putin stressed in the call that abandoning Helsinki's traditional policy of military neutrality "would be a mistake, since there are no threats to Finland's security. "Taking into account the extremely unfriendly course of Great Britain towards our country, and to avoid financial losses and other possible problems, we recommend Russian citizens abstain, if possible, from trips to Great Britain and attempts to obtain British visas. "This shows that they plan to make it a long war," Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Viktor Andrusiv said in televised remarks on May 13. After moving for a short time to Russia, she returned to Crimea shortly before Russia's invasion and subsequent illegal annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014. "This shows that they plan to make it a long war," Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Viktor Andrusiv said in televised remarks on May 13. RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. The winner is decided on a vote of a professional jury and by public vote. RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. "The president of Ukraine has signed a law banning pro-Russia political parties! "Congratulations to Ukraine for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2022," Johnson tweeted on May 15. RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction.

Analysis: Ukraine is enjoying a lot of propaganda success with its Turkish-designed TB2s, as Russia plays catchup.

The US has agreed to supply to Ukraine at least 700 of the less sophisticated single-use, or kamikaze, Switchblade 300 and 600 drones, with a range of six or 25 miles, loitering munitions that can hang in the sky and smash down, with fearful effect on their target. Moscow had long lagged behind in drone technology, said Douglas Barrie, an aerospace analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “Russia is having to play catchup. Until then, evidence of the TB2 – a remotely piloted killer drone with a range of up to 190 miles – had largely disappeared from the conflict. It had been spotted being tested in late March around the manufacturer’s test facility in Turkey, suggesting it was newly supplied, perhaps part of a new batch. Yet the battle for control of Snake Island suggested the picture had changed. The edited video, released by the Ukrainian military, showed the strike and its aftermath – all taken from a Turkish-designed Bayraktar TB2 drone.

Ministry of Defence says Putin's campaign in the east has lost momentum and has failed to make big gains in past month.

At a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Berlin, the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, said it was essential to maintain support for the government in Kyiv to help it “push Russia out”. In its latest assessment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Russian campaign in the east of Ukraine had “lost momentum” and was now “significantly behind schedule”. Russia may have lost a third of the invasion force it sent into Ukraine as its offensive continues to struggle in the face of stiff resistance, British military intelligence has said.

The Group of Seven leading economies warned Saturday that the war in Ukraine is stoking a global food and energy crisis which threatens poor countries.

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UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR Zelensky has said his country will host the Eurovision next year after folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra romped home as winners of ...

He was happy to take the risk of being disqualified from the contest if it meant he could help, he added. Ireland’s Brooke Scullion exited this year’s Eurovision at the semi-final stage on Thursday night. Several other performers expressed their solidarity with Ukraine during the contest – some making short statements on stage. Sam Ryder clinched second place for the UK – the country’s highest placing in the contest since 1998, with Spain and Sweden close behind.Source: A further 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers are trapped in tunnels beneath the steel works. Speaking after their victory, they confirmed they had been told they must return home tomorrow.

The UK had been waiting a quarter of a century for a Eurovision win and the announcement of the winner was a nail-biter, as it came down to the final vote.

The UK's Sam Ryder pushes last year's 'nul points' total into distant memory with his song Space Man impressing the voters and securing second place. Ukraine had been widely tipped to take the title and on the night there had been a huge cross-European swell of support for the war-torn country. The UK had been waiting a quarter of a century for a Eurovision win and the announcement of the winner was a nail-biter, as it came down to the final vote. The singer was top after the national jury vote with 283 points, but there was a huge surge of support for Ukraine in the public vote. The UK's Sam Ryder took second place - the first time the UK has placed in the top three at the Eurovision Song Contest in 20 years. Ukraine has won the Eurovision Song Contest after a huge show of support from the rest of the continent following Russia's invasion of the country.

A senior Nato official has said Russia's military advance in Ukraine appears to be faltering and he expressed hope that Kyiv can win the war.

Officials there expressed strong support for Ukraine and warned that Russia’s blockade of grain exports from Ukrainian ports risks stoking a global food crisis. “Finland and Sweden are already the closest partners of Nato,” Mr Geoana said, adding that he expects allies to view their applications positively. “We know that with the bravery of the Ukrainian people and army, and with our help, Ukraine can win this war.”

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy holds a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen via videolink, as Russia's attack on ...

There should be peace, he argued, but added, "It will be up to Ukrainians to decide the terms of this peace and no one else." "The war in Ukraine has the potential to bring the European Union even closer together," he said. "We are following developments regarding Sweden and Finland, but we are not in a positive mindset," Erdogan said. The Swedish government is expected to take the formal decision to apply for NATO membership on Monday. Can NATO and its global partners sufficiently strengthen themselves so that they more effectively deter this sort of threat in the future? - Can Ukraine and its friends do more to establish globally the factually correct narrative that Putin is solely responsible for this premeditated and unprovoked war?

Ukrainian forces continued to battle Russian troops as President Joe Biden's $40 million request for military-and-economic aid to Ukraine stalled in the ...

We are holding the defense and continue fighting despite everything,” Sviatoslav Palamar said during an online session of the Kyiv Security Forum, noting that Russian forces continue to bombard the steel mill. This war is also about values and ideology.” Plans to annex the Russian-occupied city of Kherson were announced Wednesday by Russian-appointed authorities. “This is not only about territories and borders. Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia. The last Ukrainian army unit left in the Azovstal steel mill plant in Mariupol is determined to hold out against Russian forces "as long as they can" despite the shortages of food, water, medicine and ammunition, according to the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said a $40 billion package of US aid to Ukraine may be approved on Wednesday. Sweden's ruling Social Democrats will ...

TURIN, Italy — While in the third month of fighting Russia's invasion at home, Ukraine came out victorious at Europe's musical competition Eurovision.

The country received the highest number of points from the public in the history of Eurovision with 439 points. The country received the highest marks from EU members including France, Belgium, Germany and Austria. He suggested inviting fans and contestants to Mariupol “one day.” Around 500 Ukrainian fighters have been trappe d at the plant in the last pocket of resistance. European politicians also jumped onto Twitter to salute the victory. As NATO diplomats gathered this weekend in Germany, the military alliance’s deputy chief

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Berlin Sunday to discuss the provision of more weapons and other aid ...

But water supply and water shortages remain the number one issue in the city," Petro Andriushchenko said Sunday in a Telegram post that was translated by NBC News. "The restoration of centralized water supply has, as expected, turned into a farce," he said. The pair also talked about the continuation of food exports to Africa and Asia, Kuleba tweeted after the meeting. A formal membership application will likely be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels next week. Ukraine’s military also said that Russian forces were retreating from Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Ukrainians were doing their “maximum” to drive out the invaders and that the outcome of the war would depend on support from Europe and other allies. Ukraine’s general staff said the Russian forces were pulling back from the northeastern city of Kharkiv and focusing on guarding supply routes, while launching mortar, artillery and airstrikes in the eastern province of Donetsk in order to “deplete Ukrainian forces and destroy fortifications.” The Ukrainian band was the beneficiary of a last-minute wave of 439 votes from the television audience that put it in front. More weapons and other aid is on the the way to Ukraine, the country's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba tweeted after a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken added that there was support “almost across the board” from existing members of NATO for Finland and Sweden to join the organization. “American diplomats have returned to Ukraine after several weeks of working out of Poland,” Blinken told top diplomats from the 30 member states of the trans-Atlantic military alliance at a meeting in Berlin. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Berlin Sunday to discuss the provision of more weapons and other aid to the country.

Given that the competition was originally designed to bring Europeans together through the medium of television, last night's result made perfect sense, ...

Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. 'Stefania' is a catchy folk/rap number and Kalush Orchestra, with their passionate delivery and memorable costumes, would I suspect have been dancing around the top ten even without the ongoing political situation. Eurovision is many things, a spectacle, a festival, a major television event, the backdrop for house parties and, of course, a song contest. But simply having friends does not automatically mean a country will win the contest. The video for 'Stefania’, shared on the official Ukrainian government Twitter account the morning after the country’s Eurovision win, shows just how much that win meant to them in their ongoing appeal for international support.

Ukrainians receive a much-needed boost as a folk rap lullaby won the Eurovision song contest. "Stefania", which beat out a host of over-the-top acts at the ...

"Today, the President of the Republic and the Government's Foreign Policy Committee have jointly agreed that Finland will apply for NATO membership, after consulting parliament. This is a historic day. Finland will apply for NATO membership, the Nordic country's president and prime minister announces, as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

As two women tell Sky News their harrowing stories, the Ukrainian authorities are conducting at least 10 active rape investigations involving Russian forces ...

Empty alcohol bottles line the floor by the front door, along with a pile of cigarette butts in a huge glass bowl. Vika has been given a little dog that belonged to one of her relatives. Both women had to stay in the village, terrified that their attackers would find and kill them. She said he is a comfort. She recounted the rape in a single monologue. Valentina, 65, Natasha's mother, who lived with her daughter, said the soldiers would rotate every few days, with new troops coming in. The owners had fled at the start of the war. She said the rape lasted about an hour-and-a-half. I could not sleep," she said, her voice steady, her sentences short. He fell to the floor. I sat until the morning. The group entered through an open window.

Ukraine president said 'victorious chord' in war with Russia was not far off as nation celebrates Kalush Orchestra's win.

“Like every Ukrainian, I am ready to fight and go until the end.” “I didn’t connect it to myself – that the song was written for me,” she said. The 439 fan votes is the highest number of televote points ever received in a Eurovision contest, now in its 66th year. For Mykola Latsiuk, a bartender in Kyiv, the band’s decision to take part in the contest was more important than their victory. “We will do our best to one day host the participants and guests of Eurovision in Ukrainian Mariupol. Free, peaceful, rebuilt! The next Eurovision we will host in liberated Mariupol.”

Russian forces are retreating from Ukraine's north but intensifying attacks on the east, Ukrainian officials say, as NATO foreign ministers meet in Germany ...

Russia is thought to have committed about 100 battalion tactical groups to the offensive in eastern Ukraine, but Western officials say many of these groups are under strength. The pullback of Russian forces from areas around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has revealed new evidence of atrocities. Where the fighting is happening: In the country's north, Ukraine continues to press on with a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region, where its troops have made significant advances to the north and east towards the Russian border.

Almost three months after Russia shocked the world by invading Ukraine, its military faced a bogged-down war, the prospect of a bigger NATO and an opponent.

The invasion of Ukraine has other countries along Russia’s flank worried they could be next. The assessments of Russia’s war performance by Ukraine’s supporters came as Russian troops retreated from around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, after bombarding it for weeks. But it appeared to be a back-and-forth slog without major breakthroughs on either side. In the southern Donbas, the Azov Sea port of Mariupol is now largely under Russian control, except for a few hundred Ukrainian troops who have refused to surrender and remain holed up in the Azovstal steel factory. Airstrikes and artillery barrages make it extremely dangerous for journalists to move around in the east, hindering efforts to get a full picture of the fighting. The largely Russian-speaking city with a prewar population of 1.4 million is only 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the Russian city of Belgorod, and was a key military objective earlier in the war, when Moscow hoped to capture and hold major cities. The Ukrainian military said Sunday that it had held off a renewed Russian offensive in the Dontesk area of the Donbas. Russian troops also tried to advance near the eastern city of Izyum early Sunday, but Ukrainian forces stopped them, the governor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Oleh Sinegubov, reported. Britain’s Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update Sunday that the Russian army had lost up to one-third of the combat strength it committed to Ukraine in late February and was failing to gain any substantial territory. Even with its setbacks, Russia continues to inflict death and destruction across Ukraine. Over the weekend, Russian forces hit a chemical plant and 11 high-rise buildings in Siverodonetsk, in the Luhansk area of the Donbas, the regional governor said. Russia also continued striking railways, factories and other infrastructure across Ukraine. Russian missiles destroyed “military infrastructure facilities” in the Yavoriv district of western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, the governor of the Lviv region said. Ukraine said it was holding off Russian offensives Sunday in the country's east, and Western military officials said the campaign Moscow launched there after its forces failed to seize Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, had slowed to a snail's pace. Finland decided to seek NATO membership as top diplomats from the Western alliance met in Berlin. The leaders of the militarily neutral country said the invasion had changed Europe's security landscape, although NATO's chief declared that “Russia’s war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned.”

Sweden follows Finland in application to join Nato; Nato pledges open-ended military support to Ukraine; British intelligence estimates Russia has lost a ...

Zelenskiy has warned that the war in his country risks triggering global food shortages and has urged international intervention to prevent global famine. As Russian forces struggle in Ukraine, Ukrainian forces made inroads. UK defence chiefs said Russia’s offensive in the eastern Donbas region had “lost momentum” and that Moscow’s battle plan was “significantly behind schedule”.

As Russian forces struggle in Ukraine, Ukrainian forces made inroads. The first Ukrainian battalion reached the Russian border in the Kharkhiv region today.

“The United States and our allies and partners are focused on giving Ukraine as strong a hand as possible on the battlefield, and at any negotiating table, so that it can repel Russian aggression and fully defend its independence and sovereignty.” American diplomats have returned to Ukraine after several weeks working out of Poland. We’re reopening our embassy in Kyiv – we’re taking all necessary precautions, but that work is underway – and we will resume operations very soon.” In Bucha, a city whose people suffered unspeakable atrocities, life goes on amid the rubble. As Russian forces struggle in Ukraine, Ukrainian forces made inroads. This comes amid reports that Russia is considering sending in 2,500 reservists to Ukraine. Sweden has indicated that it will follow Finland in applying for Nato membership.

As fighting continues in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, Ukrainian forces say they are making headway in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

As a school principal, she believes they saw her as the enemy. Instead, they were looking for her Ukrainian textbooks. “They were searching everywhere, even the drains and outdoor toilet,” she explained.

Almost three months since Russia invaded Ukraine, it has struggled with low morale, poor strategy, high losses - of troops and equipment - and weak supply ...

• The city of Mariupol is largely under Russian control but several hundred Ukrainian troops remain at the steelworks, refusing to surrender. But one of the main factors has been the fierce defence mounted by both professional Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. In Ukraine's western Yavoriv district, near the border with Poland, Russian missiles destroyed a number of military facilities. Mr President, we have reached it. But one of the main factors has been the fierce defence mounted by both professional Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. One Ukrainian battalion published a video of its soldiers reaching the border with Russia, with one of the men saying the unit had gone "to the dividing line with the Russian Federation, the occupying country.

For almost 80 days Ukrainians have repelled Russian attempts to take Kharkiv while the city's residents shelter underground.

Tanks have been abandoned because of lack of fuel. Later we heard the boom of answering artillery. They have had to be here because Russia had wanted to seize Ukraine's second-largest city. It was the bloody prelude to what has been an epic David and Goliath struggle. The column was sent to take Saltivka and was comprehensively destroyed instead. But instead of leaving they went underground.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford investigates the killing of civilians in a summer camp in Bucha, Ukraine.

They were not fighting the military in Ukraine, they were kidnapping and torturing the civilian population." In March, the fighting around Kyiv was intense and the small town of Bucha was at the epicentre. We found one potential clue among the litter at Camp Radiant - the wrapping from a parcel sent by a woman named Ksyukha to a Russian soldier whose own name and military unit are clearly marked. That evidence includes a field full of civilian cars pierced with multiple bullet holes, now piled up on the edge of Bucha. They are vehicles that were shot at when families tried to flee. "He said 'I really love you,' and that was so painful to hear," Aliona sobs, rubbing her eyes hard but unable to stop the tears. The last time Aliona heard from him was on 8 March. Volodymyr wasn't the demonstrative type, but that day he told his sister not to worry about him. A chatty 34 year old, who had travelled the world in the merchant navy, Volodymyr phoned his family from Hostemel most days to reassure them he was safe. So he spent the days searching Hostemel for food and water to bring to neighbours, including children, who were trapped in their cellars by the constant shelling and Russian airstrikes. He was a civilian, not a soldier, but he wanted to stay and help. To the right of the entrance, there are stones coated in blood that has turned dark red. A couple of steps away are the remains of a Russian military ration pack - an open can of rice porridge with beef and an empty packet of crackers. It is easy to miss the killing spot at first in the gloom.

Russian assets of French car maker Renault have become state property, the industry and trade ministry said on Monday, as foreign companies leave the ...

"I thank the Kalush Orchestra for this victory and everyone who gave us your votes! Despite small-scale initial advances, Russia has failed to achieve substantial territorial gains over the past month whilst sustaining consistently high levels of attrition. NATO on Sunday pledged open-ended military support for Ukraine, as Finland hailed its "historic" bid to join the alliance and Sweden's ruling party said it backed a joint membership application. Here’s a closer look at how supply and transportation chokes due to the war can affect food prices and hit particularly vulnerable countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia and many sub-Saharan African nations. "There is no information about dead or injured at this hour," Kozitsky said. A formal application by Andersson's minority government is very likely to follow. Russia’s Donbas offensive has lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule. Ankara views the PKK as a terrorist organisation. But not all Finnish citizens support the move. "A precedent has been set. "Agreements were signed on the transfer of Russian assets of the Renault Group to the Russian Federation and the government of Moscow," the ministry said in a statement. At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, Germany's Annalena Baerbock said it would provide military assistance "for as long as Ukraine needs this support for the self-defence of its country"

The lead singer of Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra has said the folk-rap group will celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest win “after the war”.

Psyuk said Ukraine’s Eurovision win “lifted” the war-torn nation’s spirits and he remains hopeful for the future of the country. “People are getting killed in the war or they fight in the war or lose their jobs in Ukraine, it is not really the best backdrop for celebrations.” The lead singer of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra has said the folk-rap group will celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest win “after the war”.

Top diplomats from NATO met in Berlin with the alliance's chief and declared that the war "is not going as Moscow had planned."

They made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday in a show of support. The women painted a grim picture of the troops' situation, saying they suffered severe food, water and medicine shortages; untreated injuries were sometimes leading to sepsis. The regional governor said there had been no shelling in the city for several days, though Russia continued to strike the wider Kharkiv region. The Ukrainian prosecutor-general's office said regional prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Moscow's alleged use of restricted incendiary bombs at the steelworks. Gov. Serhii Haidaii said two people were killed in the shelling and warned residents still in the city to stay in underground shelters. The band's frontman, Oleh Psiuk, said at a news conference Sunday that the musicians were "ready to fight" when they return home. On the diplomatic front, both Finland and Sweden took steps bringing them closer to NATO membership despite Russian objections. Finland announced Sunday that it was seeking to join NATO, citing how the invasion had changed Europe's security landscape. Mr. President, we have reached it. One explained that the unit went "to the dividing line with the Russian Federation, the occupying country. The Ukrainian military said it held off a renewed Russian offensive in the Dontesk area of the Donbas. Russian troops also tried to advance near the eastern city of Izyum, but Ukrainian forces stopped them, the governor of Ukraine's Kharkiv region, Oleh Sinegubov, reported. Ukraine said it held off Russian offensives in the east, and Western military officials said the campaign Moscow launched there after its forces failed to seize the capital of Kyiv has slowed to a snail's pace.

Russia attacked positions in eastern Ukraine as it tries to encircle Ukrainian forces in the Donbas and fend off a counteroffensive around the city of ...

"We could not bury them because of the shelling. The command of Ukraine's air force said Ukrainian forces downed two helicopters, two cruise missiles, and seven drones. "I was in the kitchen when the smoke appeared," one resident named Natalya said. Ukraine’s Joint Forces Task Force said its troops had repelled 17 attacks on Sunday and destroyed 11 pieces of Russian equipment. Russia attacked positions in eastern Ukraine as it tries to encircle Ukrainian forces in the Donbas and fend off a counteroffensive around the city of Izium. Moscow recognised the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic in the Donbas days before it launched its invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Moscow's forces are trying to stave off Ukraine's advance toward the Russian border near Kharkiv, Ukrainian military officials said. Russia is also ...

In the southern port city of Mariupol, Zelensky said, Ukrainians “continue very complicated and delicate negotiations to save our people.” Civilians were recently evacuated from a steel plant where Ukrainian soldiers remain isolated and under assault, officials say. Almost three months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s forces are stalled in eastern regions that President Vladimir Putin promised to “liberate.” In Donbas, which Russia no longer recognizes as part of Ukraine, Moscow’s gains have been limited. The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Ukrainian troops appear to have forced a Russian withdrawal in Kharkiv and are launching counterattacks near the northeastern city with the aim of disrupting supply lines and making it harder for Moscow to encircle Kyiv’s forces and capture the entire Donbas region, analysts and local officials say. Meanwhile, Moscow’s forces are trying to stave off Ukraine’s advance toward the Russian border near Kharkiv, Ukrainian military officials said. Kharkiv: Ukrainian forces have mounted a counterattack in the area, pushing away Russian troops, officials say. Others turned their faces to the sun and enjoyed a moment of calm between explosions. Zaporizhzhia: In this southeastern region, the front lines have almost completely frozen — with both sides effectively in stalemate, a Pentagon intelligence official said last week. Kyiv: A wartime curfew began an hour later starting Sunday, as the capital treads cautiously toward some semblance of normalcy. One by one, they took a knee to test their rocket-propelled grenades as watching comrades cracked jokes. Ukrainian officials say they are negotiating with Russians to release wounded fighters. “Rest while you can.”

Nato chief says Russia's Donbas offensive has stalled, while UK intelligence says invasion force has lost a third of its strength.

Ukrainian troops received a morale boost from the country’s win in the Eurovision song contest on the weekend, with some saying it was a sign of battlefield victories to come. “We could not bury them because of the shelling. “I was in the kitchen when the smoke appeared,” one resident named Natalya said. Ukraine’s military said its troops had repelled 17 attacks on Sunday and destroyed 11 pieces of Russian equipment. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the reports. Russia has attacked positions in eastern Ukraine as it tries to encircle Ukrainian forces in the Donbas and fend off a counteroffensive around the city of Izium.

A Ukrainian unit fighting north of Kharkiv says it has reached the Russian border. According to Ukrainian officials, Russian forces are retreating from the ...

When masked Russian soldiers ransacked Nina's home in northeastern Ukraine at 6 a.m. one day in late April, they were not searching for weapons.

"We are afraid that they will take away equipment from the schools, we have a lot of new good things in our school," she said. "Teachers are forced to cooperate and work in schools under the barrel of machine guns." "They even asked 'What is the difference -- Why is it important to study in Ukrainian or in Russian? You teach math -- it's the same in any language.' I resented that ... and I told them, your education, your papers are not recognized anywhere, children won't be able to go to universities. "Ukraine has been totally withdrawn from the schoolbooks and everything becomes the 'history of Russia,'" Okhredko explained. He also claimed the Russians have indicated "they will import teachers from the Crimea because our teachers do not agree to work on Russian programs. "They asked about my attitude to the 'military operation,' they accused me of being too patriotic, too nationalistic," she said. Oleh Okhredko is a veteran educator with more than two decades of teaching experience and an analyst at the Almenda Center for Civic Education, an organization initially established in Crimea that monitors education in occupied territories. "They took a laptop from the safe -- it wasn't even mine; it was the laptop of a primary teacher -- and two history books for eighth grade." "They were searching everywhere, even the drains and outdoor toilet," she explained. Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, said the building was leveled in the strike. Once they arrived, she was ordered to hand over history textbooks and quizzed about the school's curriculum. As a school principal, she believes they saw her as the enemy.

Almost three months after Russia shocked the world by invading Ukraine, its military is currently facing a bogged-down war, the prospect of a bigger Nato ...

Premium Premium Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky vowed his nation would claim the customary winner’s honour of hosting the next annual competition.

Halyna Vasylivna lives alone in a tiny “Khrushchevka” flat. At 94, she has outlived her sons and her husband, and her grandchildren live outside the city.

After a lifetime of looking after others, they are now vulnerable, not only to loneliness and hunger, but also to rape and murder. According to Justin Derbyshire, CEO of HelpAge International, the problem is global: elderly patients’ specific needs are neglected by governments and international bodies during and after wars. Since Russia attacked, the number of social workers in the local centre has collapsed by more than 75%. Those women who remain are mostly elderly themselves, and now have four times as many clients to look after. “I wonder why some young people evacuate their cats and hamsters, but leave their parents behind,” says Roman Vodyanyk, head doctor at Severodonetsk hospital in Luhansk, the only functioning hospital left in the city. We had to make sure all of our clients were taken care of by someone – if not relatives or us, at least by neighbours or volunteers. Vasylivna is one of 2 million older women in Ukraine who have remained largely invisible to authorities.

Russian forces are retreating from Ukraine's north but intensifying attacks on the east, Ukrainian officials say, as NATO foreign ministers meet in Germany ...

At this stage, it is not possible for us to see this positively." "It only serves one very obvious argument that NATO has learned from the political mistakes which has been done back in 2008 by making promises without delivering on decisions and membership which has basically led to three wars, two of which are now happening in Ukrainian territory.” For a week at the beginning of May, Lahuta said, the Russians had blocked the route taken by Arkadiy and others. But we stayed in the car, we had a lot of animals. Bondarenko said that others had told her the Russians would often force people to take off their clothes because they "are looking for tattoos of nationalist content. "This is not some handout," he said about the spending. "This is not a decision that we have taken lightly." "Everyone immediately began to hide behind the cars. So that was not surprising and it won't create a problem," he said. After his meeting with German officials, Kuleba also engaged in talks with G7 foreign ministers and said that they “welcomed the idea that it is necessary to freeze Russian assets and transfer them to Ukraine to help rebuild our country. The German elites have a choice to lead this process and inscribe their names in the history of Europe or it will still happen but without their leadership,” he added. "I told them it is going to happen anyway.